Masami Hosono

Hairstylist, NYC

Disposable Magazine x Urban Outfitters

Masami Hosono is originally from Tokyo and currently lives in New York City. She is a hairstylist who began her career when she was 18 after having a crush on her own stylist. She founded the Vacancy Project–a gender neutral hair salon– for many reasons; the salon is an LGBTQ-friendly space, and she opted for gender-neutral styling as a way to bridge the inequality on pricing for men’s and women’s hairstyling. She finds inspiration from her working closely with her clients and feels as if their appointments are considered more so collaborations than “hair cuts.”

I'm from Tokyo, Japan. I wanted to try something new as hair stylist in somewhere I don't speak their languages.

When and how did you start working on hair?

When I was 18, So it was 11 years ago. I had a crush on my hair stylist, she was so beautiful....

How did the gender-neutral approach come into your work?

The salon is an LGBTQ-friendly space, a year ago, I equalizing the price of men’s and women’s haircuts. My appointments are booked online, and my transgender clients would always ask me which price they should choose, I also have male clients with long hair and female clients with short hair. I do my best design on every length of hair. Why do we have to separate hairstyle by gender? that's how I started to announce gender natural hair salon.

Where do you find your inspiration?

From my clients. they always have the best idea and I feel like we collaborate. I've never feel like "I'm giving them a hair cut"

If you could choose any to style, dead or alive, who would it be?

Andy Warhol, David Bowie

We meet you in 10 years. where are you?

Vacancy project will be in New York for sure, but I will be traveling all the time. I hope.